How The Warrior Fell (Falling Warriors series Book 1) (6 page)

Leawyn jumped from the bed when the door banged open, watching as her husband ducked in. Xavier’s presence seemed to fill the room. It was as if the air sensed the danger he possessed and crackled accordingly. He was dangerous, and powerful; Leawyn could only imagine what he was like on the battlefield. The thought made her shiver. She would never want to witness that, to see the true darkness in his eyes come to life.

They stood staring at one another across the room; the quiet intensity of his stare made her feel ill at ease. When Xavier took a step towards her, Leawyn couldn’t help but take a step back.

“Don’t,” Xavier warned, his voice low. Leawyn stilled instantly, eying him warily as he slowly made his way to her. He took a couple more steps and stopped.

“Come here,” Xavier demanded.

Leawyn took a few timid steps forward. When she was within arm’s reach, he caught her wrist and pulled her the rest of the way to him. With one hand he pushed a lock of hair away from her face and hooked his thumb under her chin, tilting it to the side so that a freshly made bruise caught the light. He studied it, his dark eyes filled with intensity. Finally, Xavier did something Leawyn never would have expected.

His touch turned gentle as he tilted her chin up more and laid a gentle kiss on it. His kisses created a path down to her neck and collarbone, brushing the other bruises, both new and old, that marred her skin there.

“Pack a bag. You’re accompanying me and my men,” Xavier said against her skin. He kissed her neck one last time before turning and walking out the way he came.

Leawyn stared after him in bewilderment.

“Are you out of your mind?” Tristan demanded as soon as he reached Xavier.

Xavier said nothing in response, barely sparing Tristan a glance as he continued to load up his horse

“I just saw Leawyn packing a bag. She said you demanded she go with us?” Tristan asked, pointing behind him in his wife’s general direction. “Tell me my ears have mistaken me!”

Xavier tightened the girth of his saddle and continued to ignore his brother. Tristan gritted his teeth in frustration, stepping in front of Xavier and blocking his path.

“Xavier, she cannot go with us,” Tristan said firmly.

“I don’t believe I asked for your opinion, nor do you have a choice in the matter,” Xavier said coolly. The fixed glare was the only warning Xavier gave his younger brother of the danger Tristan invoked by questioning him.

“She cannot come with us, Xavier. It’s no place for a woman,” Tristan quietly reasoned with his brother.

When Xavier’s eyes only narrowed in response, Tristan’s anger grew.

“She could get killed!” Tristan yelled in frustration, drawing the attention of some of their tribesmen.

Xavier’s temper got ahold of him, and he suddenly shoved Tristan against the tree behind him, forcing his back hard against the bark.

“Why the sudden concern for my wife, brother?” Xavier asked dangerously as his grip tightened on Tristan’s tunic. “What does it matter to you what I do with 
my
 wife?”

“She’s a liability, Xavier,” Tristan gritted out. “She’ll get you killed. She’ll get us 
all
 killed!”

“What I do with my wife is none of your concern!” Xavier hissed. “She’s 
mine,
” he snarled possessively in Tristan’s face.

They glared at each other, tense silence stretched between them. After several heated moments, Xavier released Tristan’s tunic roughly as he backed away.

“Do not question me again, brother,” Xavier warned, his eyes telling of the promised danger if Tristan were to do so.

Turning his back on Tristan, Xavier marched up the hill to go get his wife.

“You’re making a mistake, Xavier!” Tristan yelled at Xavier’s back angrily.

Xavier’s steps paused, his fist clenching.

“She’s going to be your downfall.”

Xavier cocked his head and met Tristan’s eyes. Tense moments passed before Xavier turned back around and continued walking away.

I
T TOOK THREE
days of hard riding to reach their destination. The only moments of respite Leawyn was granted was when they stopped for their horses so they may drink water and eat. Leawyn and her horse, Deydrey, were unused to this type of traveling, and Leawyn was worried the ride would be too much for her beloved mare. But Deydrey seemed to enjoy the run, which eased Leawyn’s worry.

The only blessing of this whole adventure was the fact Leawyn did not have to be around her husband. In fact, she hardly saw him. Their company was about fifty men, and Leawyn was instructed to ride in the middle so that she was surrounded on all sides. Protected. Since the speed they were traveling hardly left room for conversation, Leawyn kept to herself. Even though Leawyn was happy to be away from her husband, she was sick of riding. Which was why when Xavier finally did call a stop, Leawyn sighed in relief.

With sore thighs and a numb bottom, Leawyn held back her groan as her feet touched solid ground. After taking a few minutes to stretch and try to bring feeling back into her limbs, she turned her attention to her horse and began the process of unsaddling her. She was in the middle of trying to lift the saddle with shaky arms when it was suddenly plucked out of her hands and set down on the ground.

Surprised, Leawyn whirled around, only to stare into the intricate design of a breastplate armor. Tilting her head back, Leawyn stared into the dark eyes of her husband.

She glanced away from his stare and down to her saddle. Quickly coming out of her shock, Leawyn gave Xavier a timid grateful smile.

“Thank you,” Leawyn said, brushing a strand of her blond hair behind her ear in a nervous gesture.

“You’re welcome,” Xavier said gruffly.

He placed his hands on her slim hips, resting them there. Leawyn tensed, glancing over his shoulder to see his men were further up, busy setting up the camp. Meaning that Leawyn and Xavier were alone.

Xavier tightened his grip on her waist, his thumb brushing against her hip bone before he gently nudged her aside and stepped forward to finish what was left in order to unsaddle her horse.

She released the breath she didn’t know she was holding and stared at Xavier’s back for a moment in perplexity.

“I can do it,” Leawyn protested, not wanting him to think her helpless. “You don’t need to—”

“I want too,” he interrupted her, staring into her eyes. Taking in her startled expression, he turned away from her and looked down at her horse’s coat instead.

“I had a tent set up for you—us,” he amended. “I know you must be tired. Go in and rest for a while.” He glanced over his shoulder at her once more, meeting her blue eyes with his brown as she regarded him.

“Go.” He turned his back on her again, his attention back to his task. “I’ll finish here.”

Leawyn hesitated, watching him groom her mare. Not knowing what else to say, and not wanting to offend him because of his rare act of kindness, she turned on her heel in a daze and slowly made her way to the camp, all the while thinking,
what just happened?

Once Leawyn made it to the encampment, she came to stop, realizing she had no idea where she was supposed to go. She was in such a confused daze, she didn’t think to ask Xavier 
which
 tent she was supposed to rest in. Since there was no way she was going to go back to her husband and 
ask
, she was left standing where she was, looking like an idiot. Her shoulders slumped as she released a tired sigh.

“You look lost.”

Leawyn whipped her head up and stared at Tristan as he made his way towards her, his lips tilted up in an amused smirk. She smiled, embarrassed. “Was I that obvious?”

“I’m afraid so.” Tristan chuckled and Leawyn grimaced. “Then again, ‘tis not often we see a woman in our camp,” he added.

“I believe it.” She sighed as she looked around at her surroundings. She watched Xavier’s men as they built small fires, unloaded their horses, and settled in to relax after their long ride. She shook her head, turning her attention back to Tristan.

“What am I doing here, Tristan?” she asked him quietly, searching his eyes. “Why did he bring me here?”

“Come,” he said instead of answering, grabbing her small arm and leading her away. “I’ll show you your tent.”

Knowing he was not going to answer her, Leawyn sighed dejectedly and let Tristan lead her away.

He stopped just outside a rather large green tent, pulled aside the front flap, and gestured for her to go in. Taking a step forward, Leawyn ducked her head down and looked around in wonder at the lavish tent.

In the middle was a large table littered with maps and knickknacks, no doubt marking out the land around them. Leawyn could see a small basin of water, the steam rising from it indicated it was still warm. There was a bed pallet in the far corner covered in thick animal skins with pillows littered all around it. Thick rugs covered the floor, and torch stands were spaced sporadically around the tent, creating a soft glow. It was a tent meant for the leader, and all in all looked fairly comfortable.

It made Leawyn feel a bit guilty to know she was able to sleep comfortably while the other men were left to sleep outside on the ground and in the cold.

She turned to thank Tristan, only to find he wasn’t there.

She frowned. She was a bit put out he stuck around long enough to show her the way but didn’t bother to tell her goodbye.

She didn’t have long to think of that fact. Xavier stepped through the tent opening. He let the fabric used as the entrance of their tent slowly slide from his fingers as he slowly straightened.

Leawyn felt a sudden sense of déjà vu when he took a step toward her, staring at her intently. She unconsciously took a step back and instantly regretted it when his eyes flashed angrily. She braced herself when he marched towards her, knowing he was going to punish her for retreating from him.

But instead of grabbing her and forcing himself on her as she expected him to, he simply walked past her to the wash bin. She stared at him as he calmly grabbed the rag and started to run it over his face and down his arms.

“I’m going away for a few days,” Xavier told her. “You are to stay here.”

“Why did you bring me here, only for you to leave me? Why couldn’t I stay behind in the village?”

His expression darkened. “So that you could find comfort in another man’s arms?”

Leawyn recoiled, insulted. “I wouldn’t—”

“I don’t trust you,” Xavier said bluntly, cutting her off. “And the only man I trust to ensure that doesn’t happen is here. Tristan will be your keeper while I’m gone.”

Leawyn bristled at the term “keeper.” It was as if she were an insolent child. She wisely kept her mouth shut, knowing any remark she made would only rouse his anger.

“How long will you be away?” she tentatively asked instead. “We only just got here.”

Xavier threw the rag back into the water with a small splash. He crossed his arms as he turned to face her.

“I am to scout ahead,” he told her tensely. He eyed her, watching her expression closely. “I don’t know how long I’ll be gone. It might be a few days to a week.”

Leawyn tried not to show the small spark of hope that ignited inside her, even knowing he was gauging her reaction. If he were to leave for a few days, it would be the perfect time to try and escape.